This morning we had a power outage for over an hour in thearea where I live. It made me realize how dependent we areon electricity. There wasn't anything I could do...no TV, nointernet, & I couldn't even use my gas stove because thestarter is electric.

Luckily it was daylight already so I was able to take a showerbecause my bathroom has a large window. All the time Iwas thinking how nice it would have been if my house wascompletely solar. Then I would have been the only one inmy neighborhood with power.

No wonder some of our schools, grocery stores, TV Station,department stores, and homes are solar. Even DenverInternational Airport is becoming solar.

I've designed, built and lived with PV solar, on an off-the-grid property and a very small home. That was here in Arizona, where one can capture more sunlight that most anywhere else. That property was sold; I truly miss it and hope to do it again.

However, a very basic system which might keep you going for ONLY some basics for any length of time (say, overnight) will not support electric heating or water heating or range, nor any other such major consumption items. A most basic system with out those biggies (all gas) will cost at least $10,000 just for materials, while a regular home will typically cost upwards of $50,000.

For that occasional outage, you'll be MUCH money ahead off owning a generator, or perhaps better would be an inverter, cabling and transfer switch to connect to your electric service, and hook up to your car/truck.

In collapse, one likelihood would be that the grid shuts down indefinitely. That's a totally different scenario and demands a complete passive solar solution, or a darn cave.

If I lived in a sunny state I would be happy to use solar energy, but I live in a state where cloudy days outnumber sunny days. I live in a state where I would have to shovel the snow off of the solar panels. Not a fun way to spend my winters.

I have them and I'm glad I do [I don't have a pool - - but they generate more than enough electricity to run my house.]

and here's a piece of info I didn't have until I started researching getting the whole-house system. I wish I had known it years ago - so I'm passing it on every chance I get:

1/4 of the electricity we use goes to heating our water and keeping it hot.a solar water heater costs 1/10 what pvc panels cost.so, if you spend 1/10 the cost you will use only 3/4 or the electricity your were using before and shave 1/4 off your bill. not bad, huh?

if I had known that, I would have taken the plunge years earlier than I did.

you're right, of course.the energy company continues to send out a bill. they have a powerful lobby, after all. so, Congress decreed that solar power [even with batteries] does not allow the person to opt out of being on the grid.

I generate more power than I use during the summer. but they send me a bill to pay for the staff who keep my name on the books at the power company. how that manages to amount to $10.48 per month, just for bookkeeping, is beyond me but that's what they charge.

LUXEMBOURG/BELGRADE, 12.20.2011 -Luxembourg`s Securum Equity Partners has decided to take advantage of the sun power potential in Serbia, which is higher by a third than that in central Europe, and to start construction of the world`s biggest solar park worth close to USD 3 billion in mid 2013. Panels whose power will total 1,000 MW will be placed on around 3,000 hectares, so the future plant will double the size of the current record holder, a 500 MW solar park in California. In addition to the favorable geographic location, which is of great importance as Securum Equity Partners primarily intends to export electric energy, Serbia`s sun radiation is among the highest in Europe. The project should get under way as early as January next year. The company estimates that it will acquire all permits by 2013, when construction should start on the solar park which will be connected to a distribution system in stages, by 2015.

I will contact you later about a program that allows you to convert to solar power and get off the electric company grid. I think the program has something to do with installing solar panels on the roof. See you in a bit with this info.

**sigh**if what you're saying [that we only have power when the sun is shining] were true, those of us with panels {and I'm one] would have to go to bed at sundown every night and reset our clocks every morning. and that's to say nothing about refrigerated food.

having panels doesn't mean you're not attached to the grid. during the day, I create far more power than I need. what I don't use feeds into the power company through the wires that are still attached to my house. then, at night, I draw against the balance I created during the day.

learning how the system works before weighing in with false information is always a plus.

yes, I know there are lots of people in this country who don't trust science.

as to still being on the grid:1] I don't yet have batteries. that's slated for next year.2] the power industry has a powerful lobby so the state says I'm not allowed to opt out even once the batteries are up and running. that way, they get to charge me $10.48 per month for the "privilege" of remaining on their books. gee, thanks.

On the gas stove part, turn the gas and use a match to light it.
Solar power is a great idea, but for some reason the power that be have not pushed it!
From what I've read it seems to be in the harvest and storage of solar problems lie and the storage.

From both a fiscal and environmental perspective, solar power is the way of the future. If I had the money, I'd get solar panels on my roof and geothermal pipes around my house. I think my yard is big enough for a wind turbine, but the noise and size might bug my neighbors.